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How to Recycle Unusual Items III

© April Kelley

Yup, compost is nothing more than recycled plant matter. You can use it to fertilize your own lawn as an alternative to costly and environmentally hazardous fertilizers purchased at lawn centers. You don't have to have a smelly heap of trash in your back yard or go to a lot of trouble to have a compost pile either. Check out future articles for a how-to on composting. But in the meantime, you can purchase a compost bin from a lawn and garden center and place the scraps in the bin. In a few weeks they'll be converted into garden soil. Not only does composting replace harmful lawn chemicals, but it reduces the amount of household trash thrown into landfills by half.

One word of caution - don't put in dog waste or dirty diapers. Also do not put in newer plastic wine corks. Only the traditional corks will work because they are actually made from a cork tree. You also might not want to put in eggshells. Wash them, crush them up and save them in a big old bag instead. When you have enough, you can sprinkle them around your garden in spring and they will keep away slugs better than any slug bait.

15. Paint The best way to use paint is to paint with it. No, I'm not being sarcastic. If you have leftover paint, you don't have to toss it out. As long as it hasn't been repeatedly frozen and thawed, you can use it as a base-coat for other painting projects. Say you have leftover paint when you finish painting the bathroom. So long as it is a light color, you can use that leftover paint as a base coat when you paint your fence, or furniture or any other project. You can even take paint in to your paint or hardware store and see if more colors can be added to change it to the shade you desire.

If the paint is too old to use, you've got to get rid of it though because it is flammable and emits harmful vapors. It is considered a household hazardous waste and your local waste company or city waste system must collect it and recycle it for you. Double check their regulations because many will not pick up paint that is in rusted cans or that has hardened. Many counties such as DuPage County in Illinois have special paint recycling facilities. Always try to buy water-based paint (latex) rather than oil-based paint. Some paint retailers like Benjamin Moore http://www.benjaminmoore.com/ will take your unused paint and recycle it for you - so long as it is their brand.